Star Trek Deep Space Nine Ruminations S1E04: A Man Alone

[@zeldaoot23]

One of the reasons the Odo/Quark relationship works so well is that it functions on two levels: a superficial antagonistic level, where each one tolerates the other because he thinks he knows how to deal with him; and a deeper level, where each one starts to genuinely care for the other’s well being. The tension between these two levels is what, for me, makes it such a treat to watch so many of the Quark/Odo scenes. Together with the chemistry of the actors, as you mention.

[@arthurwilliams4519]

It's really odd, and yet perfect, how eager Odo is to incriminate himself during this story; he keeps pointing out all the reasons why he should be a suspect, despite the fact that he knows perfectly well he didn't do it, because he understands how it looks to everyone else as if he is the likeliest suspect. He's not even trying to prove his innocence...it really kind of fits, and is probably the under-the-surface reason why this episode has the name it does. Also of interest, this episode shows its early status very clearly in the fact that Rene keeps forgetting to do the gravelly-voice thing that Odo is defined by later on (I'm assuming it's just a voice trick, rather than a recording filter; either way, it's very obviously missing in several scenes, most notably the "finding the body" scene). He still does it sometimes, but it's very inconsistent, and I kept being like "wait, who's that speaking" because it doesn't sound like Odo.

[@ResonantArc]

I grew up watching TNG with my mom and absolutely loved that show and all the characters. When she moved on to DS9 and Voyager I lost interest pretty fast. I might have only watched 1 or 2 episodes of DS9 in particular (watched a lot more of Voyager than that even though I liked it less) before giving up on it. For this reason, I have been similarly surprised by how much I've enjoyed watching it through again now. DS9 is actually a pretty good show. Odo is a beast.

[@gustavmarie]

Re: Terry Farrell's acting - the reason why she was so damn awkward early on is the fact that not only did she have the experience but also the writers had no coherant idea who or what Dax should be. To be honest, this was a problem that plagued the writing of the character throughout the series. First, she's this bright eyed young Lt. Then she's supposed to be Yoda. Then she's supposed to be Vulcan-like. Then, she's cracking jokes and something of a party girl. Then, suddenly, she's an adopted Klingon Warrior. I can only imagine how this would have been a challenge to a well-seasoned actor, let alone a former model trying to crack into Hollywood. As such, I think Farrell did alright for the most part with the material handed to her. She even could be great. But, her character was somewhat doomed from the start because it was overthought and completley unclear.

[@alexthebasilisk]

Hello! First time watching DS9 after watching TOS/TNG. One thing sticking out to me thus far is that the characters (particularly Odo and Sisko) seem to be much deeper in terms of their respective worldviews, in part because of the move away from the Roddenberry ideal that Lore discussed in the intro. Thus far, this appears to have lent itself to more layered and emotionally intricate stories. Can't wait to see what comes next!

[@Edax_Royeaux]

"Killing your own clone is still murder." And yet nobody put Picard on murder charges for brutally murdering his time travel duplicate for no good reason. He could have just stunned him, but Picard choose to murder his double in Time Squared.

[@charjl96]

Early in the episode Sisko tells Dax that he's still a little uncomfortable with the change of host. Maybe the stiffness was written in, or maybe it was just a smart way to play off stiffness between the actors.

[@williamozier918]

Around 41:02 you talk about Quark and Odo's frenemyship. My interpretation of their friendship stems from Odo's character trait, he likes order. DS9 underwent a HUGE transition when the Cardassian's left. The only real element left from those days in Odo's life is Quark. Yes Kira is there, but his relationship to her changed as well now that she is a Major and an official on the station. Quark also I am sure is much happier that he gets to continue to deal with Odo rather than having to deal with some yahoo Starfleet security chief. So after the withdrawal they immediately sort of clung to each other because even though their relationship is an adveserial one, it is for both of them an orderly, and familiar one.

[@00nick7]

This raises another question...you'd think Kira would have a hatred for Odo as well since he was in charge of security. At the same time, I'm sure she probably stopped to think the it wasn't him that was in charge of the Occupation, but rather being a pawn and used by Dukat.

[@AlekTrev006]

Lorerunner, I recently discovered your channel, and can't really put into words how awesome it- and you - are ! Your in-depth overviews and analyses of these incredible Sci-Fi movies, games, and so forth, are extremely interesting to listen to (you have a great voice for this), and very fact-filled, as well. It's clear you are a passionate and very well-informed fan, of everything you cover. I beg your pardon (and would ask anyone from his audience to answer this for me, if they know - or have heard him discuss it in his Discord, etc)...but do you have plans to eventually do some Ruminations: Star Trek Discovery ? (the new show). I can just imagine a few of them getting the dreaded Lamentations title, but however you would come down on them, I think your insight would be extremely engaging and thought-provoking (the series has engendered passionate debate at most of the other big Trek channels I've come across, in the last few months since the premiere). If you are waiting till the 1st season is completely done, I would understand - I'm just curious if anyone knows if Lorerunner has commented on this, one way or another, thus far ? Thanks in advance, and thanks for continuing to do these incredible videos for us all ! :-)

[@Lorerunner]

At this point there's sufficient interest from viewers for me to look into Discovery, but time is the real constraint I'm having. Someday! Also, thank you for your kind thoughts, it's always nice to feel appreciated.

[@magnenoalex2]

What you said about his channel is absolutely how I feel as well.

[@Stefanos07520]

Lore I agree with you that they basically just reinvented trill from the ground up for deep space 9. That being said, I actually really prefer the deep space 9 version of the trill to the TNG version.

[@ChocolatierRob]

No mention of the fact that Bashir just grows a full sized clone and does not realise it until it is practically talking to him. It's not like they don'y have the guys DNA on file. Also he grows something that he has no idea what it is. Has he not seen the movie Species? "Hmmm, unknown alien DNA. I know I'll just grow it to maturity so I can ask it what it is" _Yeah that plan couldn't possibly go horribly wrong._ It could have been a Gorn for heaven's sake, or even in a worst case scenario it could have been a Zarg. I don't think _anyone_ on DS9 has any bullets at all (yet), it could have been a massacre.

[@timothystrategos7222]

The "over the shoulder" thing you're talking about, the technical term is 'shot/reverse shot' or 'shot/countershot.'

[@madalynnights4612]

What got me thinking was that one line in the episode - why didn't Keiko put up flowers on the Promenade? Imagine that, coloured flowers all across level 2 of the Promenade...

[@williamozier918]

AS you said Trill Sybiotes arent supposed to seek out old relationships. I think the loop hole in Dax and Sisko is that Jadziah Dax didnt seek out Benjamin Sisko to establish the old relationship, she was assigned by Starfleet. Hey, not her fault

[@sonsofvivi2214]

I can *sort of* see Bashir playing the fool - he acts like a goof with jadzia, but is deadly serious when it comes to medicine and the science when investigating the clone

[@mb2000]

Jadzia and Sisko are allowed to resume the relationship Sisko has with Curzon because it’s just a friendship. Trill society only really prohibits restarting sexual relationships, marriages etc. A plain friendship isn’t a problem. Same as when Ezri comes to DS9. There was no problem with being Sisko’s friend, but getting too close to Worf, after he’d been married to Jadzia, was dangerous for her and Dax in that regard. The anti-shapeshifter guy went on to be a main character in Power Rangers Time Force... a team that fights mutants that can do weird things with their bodies... He just wasn’t a Bajoran in that.

[@DerBeppone]

Ambivalence is the word for Odo and Quark. And in many ways ambivalence is, what a lot of relationships are made of, although mostly clearly leaning towards the one or the other direction, to be fair.

[@nickokona6849]

I always got the feeling Max Grodenchek was channeling his character from TNG Captains Holiday.

[@charliedelacruz9091]

Rom sounds vastly different in these early episodes

[@gozerthegozarian9500]

I had always assumed that Jadzia's "re-association" with Sisko was a-ok by Trill standards because Sisko wasn't joined to any symbiont and wasn't even Trill, so their relationship would have no long term effects on Trill society whatsoever...

[@oddish4352]

Q. Does this mean Riker's a murderer? A. Yes. And Dr. Pulaski is an accessory to the act.

[@signaltome]

I feel Odo comes into his own in this speisode. At least he gets to show what he can do. It will take a whil before his character gets established but it really starts here. Quark is an interesting character because he continues to walk the line between a "true" criminal and just a businessman. Now you can argue that from a Ferengi perspective there is no difference but what the hey. Also as he develops he turns more into a scoundrel. And I think - though quark might deny this - he is at heart a good person. Yes, he lies and cheats and does shady deals but he does not own his own moon because he does not cross that line. Where would his D&D alignment place him, Chaotic Good? Despite some evidence he is more of a liberal Ferengi overall. The school plot arc works but it sort of... I dunno, it felt a bit rushed in a crowded episode. Or do I just remember it wrong. Maybe. Overall a good episode, despite a bit of a ham-fisted clone ex machina that even makes Bashir have a moment to shine.

[@dusk6686]

Did Bashir Just create a living breathing person and be like "yeah in 2 days we'll toss him into society." And everyone just brushed over that fact? Bashir straight up made a PERSON to solve a murder case. There should be... a lot of concern and questions about the future for that dude he just made. Eh... just drop him off at a bus stop and don't think about it.

[@GreenCauldron08]

Hey Lorerunner, is your Discord still around? I haven't found any links to it, but it'd be nice if I could join!

[@AngelEpinoia]

18:26 hold up, your favorite work of fiction is FF6? Of all time? Same!!! How rare to find another, I thought I was the only one.

[@TheycallmeMrWonka]

I'd never heard about the chemistry thing being a reason for using stand-ins. Always assumed it was just the thing they do when the camera angle doesn't require an actor to be there and in camera.

[@TheMarcHicks]

Don't feel too bad, I had the exact same feelings about Season 1, the first time I watched it on TV. Then I re-watched it on a repeat, & found more good than bad episodes in the first season. Obvious Exceptions being "Move Along Home", "If Wishes Were Horses" & "Q-Less". The rest actually weren't that bad. Not as great as they'd get in mid Season 2 onwards, but definitely a better 1st season than TNG, Voyager or Enterprise!

[@ronaldschmelzle7636]

when oddo check computer on the ship it shows ebodon left alderaan spaceport. a name from starwars

[@Bullitt3401]

Sisko said to his knowledge, no one apologized to Odo, but I would like to think Morn did. Shame on you, Morn. 😊

[@kblargh]

Jadzia's uncharacteristic pontificating felt more like she was trying to convince herself. Not as if she were insecure, but she probably hasn't been Joined for very long yet, so she likely has all the training and discipline still drilled into her. So when approached with Bashir's advances, she reverts to her studies rather than just be herself. Sort of makes me wonder how the Jadzia of a few years later would react to him. There was this great moment when Keiko is trying to convince 'Rom', and he flat-out tells her he doesn't want his son to learn from a Human female. There was this part of me that completely expected her to get offended or shoot back a retort or pause somehow. Doesn't even faze her. She's there on a mission, and getting this kid from another race - that she doesn't even know - into school so he can have a chance for a better life, is more important than any crap that might come her way. So she just remains patient and keeps trying to convince this stuck-up Ferengi guy that's giving her a hard time. And she had to go to another dozen families that day and do the same thing. Massive respect for Keiko there. As for Odo, there was a tiny line Sisko crossed. Earlier, when Odo wanted to handle Ibudan at his own discretion, Sisko (admittedly after being quite patient) tells him point blank to do things by the book or he'll find someone who will - which is logical from the moment his security chief is being uncharacteristically biased, and he has a Sation to run fairly and impartially. The next time, Sisko calls him in, it's to drop the bomb - which Odo takes with professional detachment, until Sisko adds in his personal thoughts on the matter, and that's when Odo takes it personal. It's arguable whether or not he harbors any resentment toward having been prevented to handle Ibudan as he saw fit, but he is right when he says Sisko has no basis to determine whether or not Odo is guilty. And so, the private personal endorsement - accurate as it may be - ends up being little more than a platitude, which Odo is far too sharp to take for anything other than what it is. Had it been Kira, Odo would know she meant it, but he is far more cynical about Sisko at this point. As for the mob, i think Zarya just riled them up or maybe paid them off. Yeah he was suspected of murder, but that didn't seem to be their main problem, considering what they were shouting. Odo is a race of one so far; that's not really enough to get a mob going. You can incite hatred against an individual over things he's done, but not really for what he is - unless there's a pre-established prejudice against Shapeshifters (like witches), but we don't really see that. So yeah, sheer anger was probably she driving force behind it.

[@TheDollarDes]

I must say, the contrast between early TNG episodes and DS9 is really stark. Though it occurs to me that it might be because by the time they started making DS9, they already knew how to make a Star Trek show. DS9 was basically TNG 1.5 - they took over production staff and writers, and they already knew how to make the show 'work' in the Star Trek universe. So instead of having to figure out how to make an entirely new show in Season 1, like TNG, they just had to adjust to a new premise. Just a thought. That'll make Voyager TNG 2.0, where they tried to apply 'old' TNG to DS9 production to create a 'love 'em and leave 'em' starship show, but DS9's production type clashed with their premise and seams began to show, so they tried to do a TNG reboot with Enterprise, but threw away the baby with the bathwater to prevent seams and crashed the baby, bathwater and bathtub into the continuity, cracking it into pieces... Hmmmm. That comparison got away from me a bit there in the end. But yeah, DS9 seemed to gel a lot quicker than the other shows - and I think you'll find 'Move Along Home' wasn't quite as bad as you remember it - pretty much the low point of season one, but not lamentation material. These ruminations are turning into the high points of my week. And I can't wait for the rumination on Duet.

[@marcuscollins2032]

You suck, nobody gives a fuck about what you thick

[@randallburke3562]

@@marcuscollins2032 keep saying that in the mirror. You'll convince yourself eventually. 😉

[@tee_es_bee]

37:20 I felt the clone bit was the thing that made the least sense. Wouldn't a clone (even a full grown one) have the experience of a new born? It would blatantly obvious that the clone is not the original person, since any humanoid is the combination of a physical body and lived experience. 🧡💛🧡

[@johnashley327]

This is episode 2 on Netflix.

[@SchneeflockeMonsoon]

Because they’re: Frienemies, they like disliking one another. Like their least favorite brother.

[@DarianHarder]

Did Rom change actors? Watching this on Netflix, and he sounds different.

[@00nick7]

Nope, it was the same dude. Yes, you're right though...he does sound different. Far more confidant and headstrong. However, it is the same guy.

[@mssashay007]

The Character of Rom went through a behavioral refit. His character needed to be rewritten to fit the show's expanding story line. In the beginning, he sounded like Quark 2.0 but the show didn't need that. His character needed flaws-- and thus a reason why Quark was so to quick to step in to 'Male role model' Nog. They softened Rom's personality, by giving him almost 'hew-mon' like qualities, reflecting all of those years of his living with their mother Ishka; Much to Quark's dismay...

[@DarthWampa_]

recently finished the show a month ago.

[@nickokona6849]

I think they should have used the Ferengi as the criminally greedy fanatics we see in corporate America, rather than dumb pirates.

[@MaximumBooger]

And Londo joins the crew of DS9. 33:35

[@activelivingchallenger4298]

I'm glad I watched Babylon 5 before watching this ruminations series.

[@AlucardNoir]

WHAT! NO, the whole point of school is to have children taken care of while the parents are at work.

[@RepublicAgent]

I personally feel this is why segregated schools are a deferment to young people. They won't be able to effectively mesh with different kinds of people and cultures in their professional lives. Just a thought I always had and Lorerunner's thoughts on the function of schools really emphasized that to me.

[@quasimodojdls]

Yes, it means that Riker is a murderer. Over on TNG: "Code of Honor" I said there were four episodes I would rate lower and TNG: "Up the Long Ladder" (the one where Riker kills his and Pulaski's clones) is one of them; and his actions are one major reason why. "A Man Alone" is a fairly average episode. It does have some nice character moments in the mix, most notably with Odo and Keiko, but Lore is absolutely right that the main plot leaves a lot to be desired. As for Odo's first staring vehicle of the series, the episode does some really interesting things to set up his character. In his first scene with Quark he hints that he likes Earth jazz. I forget when he starts reading Mickey Spillane, but it may be that he has already identified with figures in the hard-boiled detective genre. Whereas Data identifies with Sherlock Holmes - brilliant, intuitive, eccentric - Odo identifies with Mike Hammer, who.... well let me quote some from Wikipedia: "Hammer is in many ways the archetypal "hard man": brutally violent, and fueled by a genuine rage against violent crime. In 'The Big Kill' Hammer describes himself to a bar-girl as a misanthrope. Hammer is also loosely based on the real-life hard-boiled Texas Ranger and gunfighter Frank Hamer, who was most famous for tracking down and killing Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker in 1934. While other hardboiled heroes bend and manipulate the law, Hammer often views it as an impediment to justice, the one virtue he holds in absolute esteem. Hammer nevertheless has a strong respect for the majority of police, realizing they have a difficult job and their hands are frequently tied by the law when trying to stop criminals. Mike Hammer is a no-holds-barred private investigator who carries a .45 Colt M1911A1 in a shoulder harness under his left arm. His love for his secretary Velda is outweighed only by his willingness to kill a killer. The Washington Times obituary of Spillane said of Hammer, 'In a manner similar to Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry, Hammer was a cynical loner contemptuous of the 'tedious process' of the legal system, choosing instead to enforce the law on his own terms.'" Odo believes that Ibudan is a little more than an out-and-out degenerate scumbag who simply should not be allowed on Odo's Promenade. Bajorans may hail Ibudan as a hero, but Odo saw him for who he really was, the man who let a little girl die for not meeting the price. Odo believes he know the contents of Ibudan's soul and so Sisko and his rules about "the law" be damned -just like Mike Hammer. As for Keiko, I really like the fact that her and Miles have martial troubles. A lot of fans don't like her (seeing her as whiny or downright unlikable) but I think their bickering and martial problems not only make them a much more realistic representation of a couple but also shows that writers don't have to rely on "romance-of-the-week" or "will-they-won't-they" claptrap in order to tell romance stories. The episode mainly fails, however, because as a murder mystery it completely falls short. There is, actually, no why to solve the mystery. It isn't even Odo, the investigator, who solves it. It is only solved because Bashir happened to wave one of his medical instruments around until he discovered something odd which later managed to grow into a person. HUH?! Given that TNG: "Aquiel" and TNG: "Suspicions" (two other underwhelming murder mysteries) came out this same season, it really doesn't speak well to the ability of Trek writers to craft such narratives. It's odd that next season DS9 will deliver a pitch-perfect film noir style murder mystery in "Necessary Evil". Then there's all the Dax material. Jadzia Dax is easily my least favorite character on DS9 and this episode really doesn't help. Sisko tells Bashir that Curzon was a real hell-raiser but Dax earlier told Bashir that Trills like to aim for really high standards. So, either she was straight up lying or she was just being snooty. I could have done without that. 5/10

[@mr51406]

This is the first episode they made after the pilot so it’s expected that it would be clunky because of the convoluted A plot. Past prologue (the one produced next) shows they got better fast. In some scenes you can hear that Auberjonois hadn’t yet definitively decided on Odo’s voice yet. The Dax/Sisko dinner scene is cringy. One could be indulgent since both actors and characters are getting to know each other. But it takes a special skill to make acted forced laughter not sound like real forced laughter. Nog is already Nog; Rom was retconned. Canon purists will object; the rest of us go whatever and are thankful they did it.

[@fredrikcarlstedt393]

An Odo Alone .

[@edmis90]

Lorerunner, you forgot to add S1E05 in your playlist. A gap between 4 and 6. :*

[@Belzediel]

"One of the things I really hate is when a show decides to patronise the audience. Right? There's a certain kind, a certain type, a way, if you will, of being patronising that, there may be an official term for it, I don't know, but I call it down-explaining, right? Down-explaining is where you have a guy, or, you know, a girl, someone, who thinks they have some kind of superiority, some level above, some variety of authority, if you follow me, over someone else, and then, because of that they behave, it might be through speaking, or body language, which is silent, or, well, in some way, but here for this, by speaking in some form, takes a certain kind of tone when explaining some situation or concept to the audience, by proxy, through characters in the show. Now, proxy is a difficult concept to grasp, and I'll do my best, it's when you have something that you want to say, but you can't say it to the audience because of the fourth wall, so you say it to someone else, whether or not they would need it to be said to them at all, just so that we, you and I, know what the writers want us to know. There's this tone to it that they are superior, above in some way, and that the audience must be below, inferior, stupid, if you will, and you have this explained to you as if you were a child, or an adult with learning difficulties, or perhaps if you're foreign and you don't speak English very well, assuming we're speaking English to start with. It's aggrievating because this is always, well, usually, almost always, almost always in my experience, pitched so far down that it is insulting, in a way, to have your ability to understand, comprehend, to reason through what you are being told, be assumed to be so low. This is down explaining, a form of patronising behaviour. It can also be considered condescension, but don't worry about that, it's fine to just keep the one concept in your mind, it'll be important later on, but for now, please excuse me, I am in dire need of a tremendous bowel movement."

[@redfivestandingbye3668]

When I watched this season last month or so I remember being very happy to find that the first three episodes at least were all pretty good. It's no where near as rough as TNGs first three outings... You mentioned Jadzia Dax this might be blasphemous... But I very much prefer Ezri. Jadzia is okay but sometimes she bothers me and I've never been able to pin point why that is... Now that you mention her being smug and "holier than thou." I totally see that! Ezri always seemed more relatable and more like someone I could hang out with.

[@redfivestandingbye3668]

Also having just watched this first season again. You mentioned how the plot of this episode kinda weak and I agree. I felt like as I went through this season much of it was just a backdrop so they could do cool character stuff. But the overall plots in most of the episodes were fairly forgettable and not all that great. But there were good character bits.

[@DarianHarder]

Redfivestandingbye Ezri was a little too bubbly for me. At least at first.

[@rpra6435]

i like this episode very very much soo i am afraid to watch this review because i do not want to hear that you do not like this Lorerunner ...

[@c182SkylaneRG]

"Get a life"? Star Trek IS life!!! :)

[@stanislavkostarnov2157]

maybe you are trying to be as appreciative as possible of the work you act as a coneseur who inividually looks at the work of the variouse people involved, thereby, adding value to it in its detail...